Refrigerator car construction



July '15,' 1941. C D, BONSALL 2,248,945

REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 21, 19.?? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnvemon CbarAfs-D. Bama July 15, 1941'.

C D. BONSALL.

REFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION A Filed Aug. 21. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inl/@nfor- 4 i vChar/@s D. [3o/75a# July 15, 1941. c. D. BoNsALL REFRIGERTOR CAR CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 21, 1939 fvenor Char/@s D. Bama/l scription by referring to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof a portion of a u refrigerator car embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the car shown in Fig. 1 including arrows to show the direction of ilow of air and liquid.

Fig.` 3 is a plan section of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 show modified forms of my invention. f

Fig. 6 is a section to a larger scale s howingthe details ofthe drain trap as indicated by theline 6 6 o f Fig. 3.

Figs. 7 and 8 show modified forms of troughs. The general parts of the refrigerator car shown are insulated roof 2; side walls 3; floor 4; hatch refrigerant container 6; side Wall flue 1; foraminous floor rack and space 9 between the raclg 8 and floor 4. A refrigerant container 6 is positioned directly below the roof 2 and adjacent the side wall 3.v A drip pan I2 is provided below the container 6 and a partition I4 is secured in an upstanding position at the edge ofthe drip pan I2. The drippan I2 and partition I4 cooplerate with the roof 2 and side wall 3 ,to form an enclosing structure I I around the container 6, an

air inlet opening I5 being provided by spacing.L

the partition I4 from the roof 2. ;An airdischarge opening I1 which leads to the flue 1 is formed by spacing the drip pan I2` from the wall 3.

Airy circulation is as follows: Air inthe lading 'compartment I8 is warmed by contact with the lading andy rises to enter the enclosing structure II through the air inlet opening I5. The'v air is cooled by contactwith the refrigerant container 6 and falls by reason of its .greater density through thev discharge opening I1 and flue 1 to th'space 9 whence it rises through the rack 8 to the lading compartment I8. Cars o f this type Yusually have a row of refrigerant containers near each wall and directly below the roof so thatair flowing from the lading compartment flows between the containers disposed on oppositesides ofthe car.

The form of refrigerant container 6 s hown in `the drawings is one in which the bottom 29 and the lower parts of the walls 2l are imperforate. The upper parts of some of the walls are provided with apertures 24 through which ventilat- 'ing and .refrigerating air may circulate and through which a certainamount of liquid will splash from the container 6. 1t is to be under- .'stood that my invention is not to be limited to a vrefrigerator car having a container of this type,

but that it also pertains to completely foraminous or completely imperforate containers.

The` `arrows in Fig. 2 show the path of the circulating `Aair` and liquid; the dotted arrows 21 indicating water and lthe solid arrows 28 air. Some of 'the liquid in`V the container 6 flows 'through certain apertures 24 inthe container litiasis;

wall 22, through the duct 29 below the container 6 and through the side wall flue 1, therefrom falling upon the sloping surface 3I from which it is deflected into the trough 32. Some liquid may also flow through the apertures 24 in the container wall 25, therefrom flowing through the flue 1 to the sloping surface 3I and trough 32. As

shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the flue 1 and trough 32 are substantially continuous longitudinally of the car and extend from end to end thereof. Air circulating within the car rises `Vthrough the opening I5, part of the air flowing into the apertures 24 and through the container and part under the container 6 through the duct 29. The circulating air then flows downwardly through the side wall ue 1 and trough 32.

Circulating air in passing adjacent the trough 32 is refrigerated and humidied by contact with the cold liquid in the trough and with the spray created by the liquid falling upon the sloping surface 3|. The air then flows through the space 9 under thefloor rack 8 and upwardly toward the roof of thecar, repeating the cycle just described. In order to prevent `liquid in the trough 32 surgingfrom end to end of the carduring service movementsthereot spaced apart partitions or b aiiles 35 are provided in the trough 32. It is preferable to provide small openings in the bafes 35 so that the liquid retained in the several portions of the trough 32 included between the baflles 35 may nda common'level.v The apertures in the baiiles may be holes 36 spaced above the bot- 'tom of the trough 32, as shown Fig. 2, or holes 3 1 adjacent the bottom of the trough 32, as shown 1in Fig. 4. vThe entire lower edge 39 of the baiiie 40 may be spaced a small distance above the bottom of the trough, as shown in Fig. 5. h, f Thereis atendency during movements of the car for Vliquid to splash from the trough 32 toward the lading compartment I8. Some means, such as the inclined lip 43 shown in Fig, 4, or the hori- -zontal lip 44, shown in Fig. 5, may be provided to prevent splashing of the liquid. A lip 45, as shown in Fig. 5, may also be provided adjacent the side wall.3 to prevent liquid splashing from the trough 32 being deflected by the side wall 3 into thelading compartment I8. The lips 43, 44 and 45 may be formed by overlapping the margins of thetrough 32 with the margins of the floor sheet ,43 or side wall flue sheet 41; the margins preferably being Welded together. "For certain types of service, top ice, which is ice placed'on top of Athe'lading in direct contact therewith, is used. When the top ice melts, the liquid formed thereby seeps downwardly tothe "floor 4 of the'car and'should, vif possible, drain to the trough 32. 'I he lip 44 shown in Fig. 5 would permit drainage of such liquid into the trough 32, Whereas'if the Ylip 43 shown in Fig. 4 is use'd, Yit would 'be' necessary to provide small apertures at intervals'. in the lip'43 so that the melted top ice could bedrained to the trough 32.

It -is desirable thatv at least a portion vof the melted -refrigerantshould be retained in the -trough32 a sufficient length of time for the circulating air zto obtain the greatest possible refrigeration'and humidication therefrom. For this purpose, a trap 50 shown in Figs. 3 and 6 may be provided.. lThe trap consists of a substantially verticalpipe 5I projecting through the bottom A52 of the trough 32 and leading to the exteriorof the car,the top of 'said pipe being disposed a substantial distance above the bottom of the trough 32 so that the liquid `within the trough has to be of a height reaching to the top of the pipe I before it can escape. A cap 53 is preferably provided above the pipe With its lip 55 at a lower level than the top of the pipe 5I to prevent air entering the car through the pipe 5|. The cap 53 is preferably hinged at 56 to facilitate cleaning of the trap 50.

Fig. 7 shows a modified construction in which the upper surface of the floor 4 consists of a layer of wooden flooring 60. The trough 32 comprises a channel shaped member BI having the web 62 thereof preferably resting upon the wooden flooring 60.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, the trough 32 has -a downwardly and outwardly inclined bottom 64 so that liquid or solid particles descending through the flue 1 splash away from instead of toward the lading compartment I8.

The term refrigerator car used herein is not intended to limit the invention to a structure in which the car body is permanently attached to the trucks. The invention .also applies to containers and other similar structures adapted to be temporarily or permanently mounted upon railway cars or highway trucks.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car body, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car body, a longitudinally extending flue associated with a wall of the car body arranged to conduct to the lower part thereof cold liquid from said means and air refrigerated by said means, a longitudinally extending trough associated with the floor of the car body, and an inclined surface below said flue to direct said air and said liquid into said trough thereby further cooling said air.

2. In a refrigerator car body, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car body, a longitudinally extending iiue associated with a wall of the car body arranged to conduct to the lower part thereof cold liquid from said means and air refrigerated by said means, a longitudinally extending trough associated with the floor of the car body arranged to receive said liquid from said ue and positioned so that said air passes over the liquid contained therein thereby further cooling said air, and means to prevent splashing of liquid from said trough to the lading compartment of the car body.

3. In a refrigerator car body having a wall and a fioor, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car body, a longitudinally extending flue associated with said wall and arranged to conduct to the lower part thereof cold liquid from said means and air refrigerated by said means, a longitudinally extending trough associated with said floor arranged to receive said liquid from said flue and positioned so that air flowing from said flue flows over the liquid in said trough, and spaced apart baflles in said trough to retard surging of liquid from end to end thereof.

4. In a refrigerator car body having a wall and a floor, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car body, a longitudinally extending ue associated with said wall and arranged to conduct to the lower ypart thereof cold liquid from said means and air refrigerated by said means, a longitudinally extending trough associated with said floor arranged to receive said liquid from said flue and positioned so that air flowing from said flue flows over the liquid in said trough, and a covering for said floor, the margin of said covering adjacent said trough being secured to a wall of said trough in overlapping relation therewith, the overlapping portion overhanging said trough to prevent splashing of liquid therefrom.

5. A structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said baffles have apertures therein to retain liquid at substantially the same level throughout said trough.

6. A structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said baiiles are spaced from the bottom of the trough to retain liquid at substantially the same level throughout said trough.

7. In a refrigerator car having a wall and a floor, said wall comprising a sheet member, said sheet member having formed therein an outwardly projecting panel connected to a marginal part of said member by an inclined web, and a lining disposed in flatwise relation to said member to form a flue between saidlining and said panel, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car arranged to discharge cold liquid and icold air into said flue, and a trough associated with said floor, said web being disposed at vleast partially below said flue and arranged to direct said liquid into said trough and to direct said air into contact with the liquid in said trough.

8. In a refrigerator car having a wall and a floor, a foraminous rack forming a space between the rack and Said floor, said Wall comprising in part a sheet member, said sheet member having formed therein an outwardly offset part having an inclined web associated therewith, a lining disposed in fiatwise relation to said member to form a flue between the lining and said offset part, refrigerating means in the upper part of the car arranged to discharge cold liquid and cold air into said flue, and a trough associated with said floor, said web being arranged to direct said liquid into said trough and to direct said air into said space.

CHARLES D. BONSALL. 

